Bears are a part of the fabric of Whistler life and lore - to longtime locals, they're almost like stray dogs or squirrels. Admit it: we all love to tell tales of the majestic creatures we share this valley with (especially with anxious tourists).

But their comfort level with humans can have tragic results, and just because we're used to having these animals around doesn't mean we shouldn't have a healthy respect for the creatures. In fact, one local bear advocate believes we need to work at living in harmony with the black bears. So, she decided to publish a book on the topic.

Sylvia Dolson is best known around town for her work with Get Bear Smart, a community group dedicated to protecting the many black bears that call Whistler home by educating people. And to make the learning process fun and appealing, she decided to write this light-hearted book, Bear-ology: Fascinating Bear Facts, Tales & Trivia, which is filled with tidbits of information, jokes and illustrations by Evelyn Krikaldy, a talented artist from the Kootenays.

Dolson spent more than two years researching and writing the book as she continued working full-time as executive director for the Get Bear Smart Society.

"It's a long process, to put a book together," Dolson said with a chuckle. "Much longer than I expected."

Rather than focusing on drier scientific issues like the biology and ecology of bears - textbook reading, really - Dolson opted to take a fun approach, nestling a few important bear basics, like what to do when you see a bear, in between anecdotes and cartoons that are designed to help readers gain an "an appreciation of the true nature and essence of the bear, one that transcends the unfounded fears based on years of misinformation, sensationalized media stories... and exaggerated campfire tales."

Bear-ology: Fascinating Bear Facts, Tales & Trivia was published in late February, and can be found on shelves of Armchair Books, Home Hardware, IGA and Carlberg's. The book is also a fundraising project for the Get Bear Smart Society, so you have the added feel-good fuzzies if you pick this book up as a gift for the animal lover on your shopping list.